Indy was Monumental: Mental prep work

I did more mental preparation for Indy than I have before any other marathon.

Some podcasts I found particularly beneficial were:
A Pre-Race Pep Talk - this was my favorite!
Keys to Enduring Pain in Training and Racing
Mental Tips and Tricks for Race Day

I read the following books during race week:
How Bad Do You Want It? by Matt Fitzgerald
Strong by Kara Goucher
The Happy Runner by David Roche and Megan Roche
My top recommended book for the mental side of running is Deena Kastor's Let Your Mind Run: A Memoir of Thinking My Way to Victory, though, so prioritize that one!

I wrote my goals on my mirror.  I told myself often:  "I am a sub-2:45 marathoner."

I watched the course tour video and visualized different points in the race.

I thought about my "whys":  because God gave me this passion and talent for a reason, to share my faith, because I love it, to be part of this amazing time in women's marathoning, to prove to myself that I can do it, to be an example of persistence, to show my daughter that you don't stop trying when you don't accomplish a goal quickly, to help others know they can do more than they think they can.

During the rough parts of the final miles I used every strategy I could.  My favorites were thinking about what feels good, remembering that my body can do more than my mind wants to let it, and running the moment I was in.

My mantra

I think I've always been good at pushing myself - racing hurts so good! - but I was at a really good psychological point for this race.  I learned many things that I'll carry forward from here, and hopefully some of them can help you as well!